A single piece of bubble gum is at the center of the murder case against ex-NFL player Aaron Hernandez

The gum could link Hernandez and his accomplices to the alleged crime scene, an industrial park close to Hernandez's house and where semiprofessional football player Odin Lloyd's body was found.

North Attleboro police detective Michael Elliott told the court that a rental car company worker told him she had thrown away several items from a Nissan Altima rented in Aaron Hernandez's name, the Sun Chronicle reported. Police then searched the trash bin and found blue bubble gum attached to a shell casing, as shown above.

Keelia Smith, the manager of the North Attleboro Enterprise, testified that she found the items and threw them away. She also told the court that Hernandez, at some point, offered her a piece of blue bubble gum.

The bubble gum has become an important part of the case against Hernandez because prosecutors also have proof that Hernandez bought Blue Cotton Candy Bubblicious bubble gum at a gas station hours before Lloyd's death, according to the Hartford Courant.

The gum stuck to a shell casing from a .45 caliber handgun, which matches several shell casings police bagged near Lloyd's body, Elliot also testified. Another surveillance video, from Hernandez's home system, shows the former tight end soon after Lloyd's death holding a small dark shape. Prosecutors say that shape is a .45 Glock. Hernandez allegedly bragged about owning the same type of gun just six weeks before Lloyd was shot and killed.

Throughout the trial, the prosecution has tried to prove that Hernandez and two of his associates rented a Nissan Altima, drove Lloyd to an industrial park close to Hernandez's house, and shot him six times. Any evidence tying Hernandez to that location could hurt his defense.